The next Head of News at TVM should be chosen via a public call, PN’s Graham Bencini said, urging the future of Malta’s national station be given to someone “journalistically competent” and not “politically-appointed”.

“A public call would be placing in practice that which is being proposed in the European Union by way of the Media Freedom Act, proposals that were praised by Minister Owen Bonnici, who is responsible for broadcasting,” Bencini said.

Bencini’s words come after Norma Saliba resigned from her position after she said she had been targeted as part of a malicious campaign against her. Her tenure was marked by criticism saying she was biased in her leadership of the public station.

“There were many times in the past when the journalistic level, especially on the digital platforms of PBS, was not as it should have been. Apart from this, there were many times when the public broadcaster was found guilty of being biased in favour of the government when it chose to broadcast or not broadcast certain news,” Bencini said.

“In light of this, for us to have a PBS that is truly independent, instead of having someone who was politically-appointed to fill the role, we must have a public call.”